This invention is generally in the field of hand tools for shaping and smoothing contoured surfaces, and more particularly sanding such surfaces to a desired smoothness or finish.
In numerous industries, products are made or repaired to have a desirably smooth, finished surface. Representative examples of these industries and products include furniture, shelving, and other woodworking; automotive body production and repair, nautical vessel body production and repair, exterior and interior finishing (e.g., drywall, kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities) in the construction of houses and other buildings. In all of these non-limiting examples, various surfaces require sanding to complete the product or project.
Flat surfaces and rounded surfaces with relatively large radii can generally be finished using power disk sanders or the like. However, surfaces having relatively sharp contours or curvilinear features generally require sanding by hand. For example, linear or elongated surface contours may be sanded by hand using contour sanders (i.e., sanding blocks) having a shape which fits into an almost perfect engagement with the elongated surface contour. However, when it is desired to sand another surface contour, another sander which mimics this new surface contour must be used. Furthermore, there are typically surface contours which do not have a matching pre-fabricated sanding block, and thus, finishing the surface becomes more difficult and/or less precise. For example, a conventional rigid sanding blocks designed for sanding a structure having a perfect 90° angle will gouge those structures that are imperfect, e.g., as found in some houses where corners may not be precisely 90°. Such blocks are also unforgiving of imperfect sanding strokes on even those corners that are perfect, and may still result in gouging. It therefore would be desirable to provide sanding blocks that offer better adaptability to different contoured surfaces for a variety of sanding applications.